Don’t Be Overwhelmed by Negative News

By Jeanmarie Papelian, Executive Director

I’m pleased to present to you ATP’s spring 2019 Trees for Life newsletter. With this publication, we aim to demonstrate that ATP’s work is about so much more than planting trees. We sustain Armenia’s environment by ensuring a high survival rate of the trees we plant while enriching the soil, water, air quality, and harvests. We empower Armenians by providing economic independence through employment and enterprise opportunities. We teach students all over Armenia and the Diaspora to build awareness about healthy trees and preservation and the role of individual and community in the environment.

Lately it seems that there is a lot of negative news about the environment. Whenever we turn to our favorite news outlet, we hear or read about air and water pollution, drought, wildfires, or endangered animals – issues which affect us all. This can be overwhelming to consider, and we wonder if we as individuals can do anything to help our precious earth and its resources. In fact, there is something very simple anyone can do: plant a tree. Experts say that the best and cheapest way to avert a climate catastrophe is to heal nature by restoring and replanting degraded forests and by better conserving the natural world. We’ve been doing just that at ATP since 1994! By helping to support our work, you are making a difference.

In this newsletter (available here in PDF format) you’ll find some information about ATP’s 25th anniversary. We invite you to celebrate with us by joining us in October in Yerevan for Forest Summit: Global Action and Armenia. Co-sponsored by ATP and the American University of Armenia’s Acopian Center for the Environment, the conference will bring together regional and international experts to discuss Armenia’s environmental challenges and opportunities. The conference will include field visits to both state forests and to ATP’s nurseries, social gatherings, and sightseeing opportunities. October is a lovely time to visit Armenia. We hope to see you there!